Mechanical loader for cannon



Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,563

- T. A. coNLoN MECHANICAL LOADER FOR CANNON Filed July 2l, 1924 C5 Sheets-LSheet l T umEAE-nnnn zazn Oct. 12 1926.

T. A. CONLON MECHANICAL LOADER FOR CANNON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2l, 1924 www@ Oct. 12 1926.

T. A. CONLON MECHANCAL LOADER FOR CANNON Filed July 2l. 1924 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

31a-ven 1107, THUN-Las A [Im-11u11 A' f f LZ Mv 1% |v www w, Q .w @v @V1-^m-:\l.\w -ma OOOOOO@OOOOOOOO0,0000000.000 lllllll l Patented @et i2, i925.'

UNTTE SFaFS "lia FTFN

MECHANICAL LOADER FOR CANNON.

Application filed July 21, 1924.

Serial No. 727,330.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1383; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein'may be used by the Government, or any of its oilicers or employees in prosecution owork tor the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act ot March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a inechanical loader for cannon.

1n loading projectiles into heavy artillery at all angles ot elevation, the weight of the projectile requires that mechanical assistance be resorted to in performing the ramming operation.

ylhe present invention resides in utilizing the energy of recoil to store up energy to perform the loading operation, and the result is accomplished by associating a. rammer with the recoiling portions ot a gun and adapting the animer to return to battery, independently, to actuate a loading apparatus, enclosed in a projectile tray, to advance a projectile into the breech of the gun barrel.

According to the invention, a rammer is mounted with the gun so as to be retractable therewith, without interfering with other operations at the breech, and held in cocked position to be enabled to return independently of the gun. The rannner, when in cocked position, is forward ot' the base of the projectile to be loaded, thus providing for a short recoil of the Oun, while the linger of the rammer is so inclined as to maintain proper clearance when the projectile is moved int-o alignment with the bore.

The loading apparatus is completely enclosed in a projectile tray and embodies an endless chain having a special link which is movable the entire length ot the tray, when the chain is actuated through the instrumentality of the rammer, to advance the projectile with a uniform speed into the gun.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination ot elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a parto this specification.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved loader;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the loading tray with the cover plate and arms removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line -lof Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view, part in side elevation and part in section, ot' the latch mechanism;

Fig. 'i' is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 or Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view talren on the line 3 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a detailed view ot' the special link; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the chain.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference rlChe barrel 10 of a cannon is reciprocally carried by the usual mount comprising a cradle l1, cradle side plates 12, and trunnions 13. Stationarily disposed between the barrel and lett side cradle plate is acylinder 14 supported and rigidly held as by brackets 15.

Mounted tor reciprocal movement in the cylinder 14k is a rammer rod 16, terminating in a ram head 17, which normally extends beyond the breech end of the barrel. rlfhe ram head is formed with a linger 18, which is disposed at an angle in the direction of the bore ot the barrel.

rlhe breech ot the gun may be formed with a stepped upper ler't edge and in the depression thus toi-med is secured a guide collar 19, which embraces the rammel' rod in i'ront oi' the ram hea-1l 17 and serves as a support 'for the rod and as a means for retracting itduring the recoil movement of the barrel to compress a spring suitably carried in the. cylinder 14.

Attached to the cradle side plate 12, is rearwardly extending overhead channel support 20, its rear portion carrying a guide plate 21, riveted to its under tace. The tree end of the support 20 is secured to a bracket arm 22, which is conveniently -fastened to the cradle side plate extension 23, as shown in Figure 1.

rlChe guide plate 21 is formed to provice a groove 24 to receive a complementary partly in section tongue 25, formed on the ram head 17, for guiding the rammer rod in reciprocation.

A suitable mechanism for holding the rammer in cocked position is provided on the rear portion of the support 20, and embodies a pivoted latch 26 having a beveled face 27, normally projected into the path of the ram head by a spring 28. A. lever 29, pivotally carried by the support 20, is engaged under the free edge of the latch whereby the latch may be raised to release the rammer.

During retraction of the rannner, the latch is tripped by the tongue 25 on the ram head and immediately returned by the latch spring to retain the rammer in cocked position during counter recoil of the barrel. It will be noted that no part of the remmer is in line With the bore to interfere with the extraction of the empty cartridge case.

It will also be seen in Figure l that the position of the linger 13, when the rammer is cocked, is some distance forward of the base of the projectile when in place to be loaded and, therefore, opposite a small diameter of the cartridge case. The inclina tion of the linger is such that clearance will be provided for the projectile as it is moved into line with the bore of the barrel.

A tray 30, designed to carry a projectile, is mounted for oscillatory movement, so that When in the upper position (as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2) the projectile is in position to be advanced into the barrel during the loading operation.

The tray is provided with brackets 31, each of which have a bent arm 32, mounted on a .shaft 33 suitably supported in the cradle l1 of the cannon.

The tray is formed with a lateral entension 3d, adapted to be closed by a cover plate 35, vWhich may be secured thereto by bolts 36, the Whole forming a casing provided with grooves for the reception of an endless chain 37 on sprockets 3S, a reciprocable bolt 39, and a .stationary chain 49.

The endless chain is provided With a special link l-l, normally positioned at the rear sprocket and the link is formed with a projection 42, adapted to be extended into the tray through a slot 43, for-med between the extension and the cover plate, so as to be in position to engage the base of a projectile during the loading operation.

F or the purpose of operating the endless chain and imparting to it a more rapid rectilinear movement than that of the part furnishing the moving force, the bolt 39 has rotatably mounted therein a sprocket Wheel 44, which is in mesh With both the movable and stationary chains.

The sprocket Wheel la is provided with a lug. 45, which extends through a slot 46 formed in the cover plate 35 and in position neoases to be contacted by the remmer finger 18, as seen most clearly in Figure l, during the forward movement of the rammcr. The special link on the endless chain Will advance the round from its position at rest almost completely into the cartridge chamber While the remmer isV traveling .from cocked position to the breech endof the barrel. rlhe round may be moved home by the chamfered face of a sliding breech block.

Any suitable means may be employed for restoring the bolt and endless chain to normal position, a preferred form as herein shown, consisting in forming the bolt 39 with an open end 45?' for the reception of a pin 4S to which is secured one end of a coil spring' 4:9, the opposite end of which is suitably fastened to the extension 34.

rl`he tray is provided with a lip 50 for retaining the projectile untily the commencenient of the loading operation.

ln operation, assuming that the rammer is. in cocked position, the tray carrying a projectile is moved in line With the bore, the lever 29 is manually moved to release the latch allowing the ran'nner to be urged forwardly by its spring. During this movement, the remmer, through its linger, rotates the sprocket Wheel del, to actuale the endless cl sin 37, which through its special link eti advances the round into the gun to a position where the remaining movement may be accomplished by the breech block. Any suitable buffer mechanism may be provided in the rammer cylinder for casing the 10o forward movement of the loading' mechanism.

During recoil of the barrel t-he rammer through the guide collar 19, is retracted to cocked position Where it is held until manually released.

`While in the foregoing there Yhas been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasizes the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

l claim:

l. In combination with a cannon andV its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a tray movable int-o and out of alignment With the cannon at the breech end thereof, an endless chain Within the tray, a bolt, a sprocket wheel mounted in the bolt and meshing with the chain, means for rotating the sprocket upon movement of the bolt, a rammer supported by` the mount and recoilable under tension with the cannon, said rammer adapted to move the bolt from normal position, and means for returning the bolt to initial position.

2. In combination with a cannon and its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a

y the bolt, and meshing with the chain, means for rotating the bolt sprocket upon move ment of the bolt, and means recoilable with the cannon cooperating with the bolt for actuating the chain.

3. In combination With a cannon and itsv mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a tray movable into and out of alignment with the cannon at the breech end thereof, a projectile advancing mechanism carried by the tray, a rammer supported by the mount and recoilable with the cannon for actuating said mechanism, and a latch for holding the rammer in cocked position at a point intermediate the ends of the tray.

4. In combination with a cannon and its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a tray movable into and out of alignment With the cannon at the breech end thereof, a pro- 'jectile advancing mechanism carried by the tray, al rammer supported by the mount and recoilable with the cannon for actuating said mechanism, and a finger formed on the rammer for engagement with said mechanism, said finger inclined in the direction of the bore of the cannon to permit movement of the tray.

5. In combination With a cannon and its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a.

tray movable into and out of alignment with the cannon at the breech end thereof, means carried by the tray for advancing a projectile the entire length of the tray, and means recoilable With the cannon for actuating the aforesaid means.

6. In combination With a cannon and its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a tray movable into and out of alignment With the cannon at the breech end thereof, means carried by the tray for advancing a projectile with a uniform speed into the breach, and means recoilable with the cannon for actuating the aforesaid means.

7. In combination with a cannon and its mount, a loading apparatus embodying, a tray movable into and out of alignment with the cannon at the breech end thereof, means carried by the tray for advancing a projectile from its position at rest into the breech, and means recoilable with the cannon for actuating the aforesaid means.

8. A loading apparatus for cannon including, a tray, an endless chain carried by the tray .for advancing a projectile into the cannoli at a uniform speed, and means recoilable With the cannon for actuating said chain.

9. A loading apparatus for cannon including, a tray, a projectile advancing mechanism enclosed in the tray, and means recoilable with the cannon for actuating said mechanism.

THOMAS A. CONLON. 

